Third day of tutoring came. Three cars and a super bike marched through a driveway. Yoonmei rode with Daehyun in his blue Enzo Ferrari and spent the remainder of the trip looking out the window. Her eyes scanned the vast area without leaving any detail. ‘Not bad! He’s rich, but not as rich I am. Mwehehe!’ the devil in her laughed.

Daehyun came to a stop when he saw Kai’s red Lambo parked in front of the main entrance. Sehun also stopped behind them while Zelo drove passed and parked up front.

Kai came to her side and opened the door. Yoonmei walked out, still observing the area. They were however wondering at her reaction. Normally, people would gawk and get intimidated when setting foot at a mansion for the first time. She, on the other hand, remained cool and composed. “So? Where to next?” she asked.

“Ermmm… Over here…” Kai led them in.

The butler and maids followed them until reaching a study hall. It was indeed bigger for the five them. Books were properly stacked in a shelf. Not a single clutter can be found. The decors were also minimized to make room for more space. It was also bright and well lit, perfect for brainstorming.

“Is there anything that you need?” asked the butler.

“Pizza, ice cream, cheesecake and drinks!” Kai ordered.

“NOOOO!!!” Yoonmei interrupted while raising both hands. “Just give us fruits, smoothies, celery sticks… anything that is not greasy!”

“MWOH???” the boys protested. “Yah! This is my house! I can have anything that I want…” Kai whined and his mouth suddenly got covered by her hand.

“It’s okay… Don’t listen to him! I’m their boss!” she grinned.

“Ye agashi!” he bowed and left with maid.

“What the hell?” Kai sneered when she released him and sat on the couch. ‘Be thankful I got dibs on you!’ he scowled.

Yooonmei ignored him throwing a tantrum while taking out her notes. Daehyun sat on the floor beside her while Sehun and Zelo on the opposite couch. Kai also ended up on the floor on her other side. “Let’s start shall we?” she handed them some handouts regarding Newton's laws of motion. “I gave you that as an assignment the other day right?” they nodded. “Who can explain what the 1^st law is?”

Zelo excitedly raised his hand. He explained the law of inertia in full details and also gave an example. “A ball rolling down a slippery slope onto a flat surface will keep going until it hits something or reaches the height it started from.”

“Nice! I’m impressed, Zelo!” she praised and suddenly snatched a Snickers bar from her backpack. “There you go!”

That one piece of candy was all it took to make him proud of what he considers his biggest achievement. “Yay! I got my first reward!” he beamed. Even his hyungs patted his head.

“Congrats Junhong!” Sehun said.

“Okay!” Yoonmei continued. “How ‘bout the second law?”

Daehyun instantly straightened up. “Acceleration is produced when a force acts on a mass. The greater the mass, the greater the amount of force needed.” he also gave an example, earning himself a chocolate bar.

Kai suddenly raised his hand. “I will explain the third law but I don’t want your chocolate!”

“Excuse me?” she leaned away from him. “Then what do you want?”

That’s when he tapped a finger on his cheek.

“Forget it!” she scrunched her face and turned to Sehun. “You explain it!”

“Okay!” Sehun happily obliged but Kai hurled a pen to his face.

“Yah! Do it and I will tell your mom how many girlfriends you got!” he threatened.

“Sorry Yoonmei…” Sehun said. “…but I think you’re gonna have to kiss our leader.”

“Mwoh? Hell no! Forget it! I’d rather kiss a frog than him! Blech!” she stuck her tongue out.

Kai sighed marking his surrender. ‘I don’t think I will ever get to kiss her…’ he decided to explain the subject timidly while looking at the carpeted floor. “Newton's third law... For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction… Which means that I’m suffering right now coz of everything that I did to you…”

The three snorted while Yoonmei hurled him his well deserved Snickers. “At least now you know! Pft!”

“Kai-shi! Kai-shi!” a maid came running in. “You’re mother just arrived!”

“MWOH???” they chorused in panic. “! I thought she’s not going home until next month?” Kai asked.

“I dunno… But she’s in her office, looking for you!” she added.

“Tell her, I’ll be there!” he ordered and the maid left. Kai then faced his friends. “You guys stay here! Don’t come out until I come back, okay?” they nodded and looked down to her. “Mei, I’ll be back, okay?”

Before she can even say a word, Kai ran out.

Yoonmei got confused with the way they all panicked at the word of ‘mother’. Isn’t it supposed to bring happy thoughts and warm feelings? Why does it seem like a terrorist came, leaving them scared for their lives? That’s when she turned to his friends for answers. “Can you explain to me what’s going on? Aren’t you supposed to greet his mom if she’s indeed here?”

They looked at each other for a bit and it was Daehyun who explained. “You don’t understand… Kai’s mother is very strict. She rules the entire household with an iron fist. She’s pretty much the lady version of Hitler.”

Sehun snorted.

“It’s funny but it’s true!” Zelo blurted. “She’s by far the scariest woman I’ve seen!”

“Tch! You haven’t even seen the real me!” Yoonmei boasted. “Not even my mother! She’s a lot scarier than I am!” she snickered.

With that, she suddenly grew curious. She just can’t imagine someone being scary than she is, so she stood and went to the door.

“Yah!” Zelo ran and spread his arms against the door. “Where are you going?”

“I just want to see what she looks like! Just a peek, please?” she pleaded with palms pressed together.

“Andwae! Are you crazy?” maknae refused. “You stay here, Yoonmei!”

“Junhong-ah?” she forced a smile. “Move, or say bye-bye to that pretty face of yours…”

Zelo gulped and as usual, he gave up. “Aish! Why can a girl bully me this much? I hate you, Yoonmei!” then he gave way. “But I’m coming with you! God knows what you’ll do next!”

Daehyun also stood and followed them, so did Sehun.

They tiptoed to the hallway and after spotting a maid who just walked out of a room, Yoonmei tugged her arm. “Do you know where Kai is?” she whispered.

“Over there!” she pointed a room just a few doors where they came from.

She followed the direction while being trailed by the three boys. The door was slightly ajar giving her the opportunity to peek. But before she can even lean closer, a high pitched voice rang through the entire room. Every word was very audible that they can hear the entire conversation.

“How can you be so stupid, Jongin? What kind of grade is this?”

The four of them flinched behind the door when a crash coming from a falling vase came on.

“You're a disgrace! You're ing useless! I should've aborted you!”

Yoonmei gasped as if everything stopped. Her heart sank and her stomach flipped. Even the three guys behind her closed their eyes and took a deep breath. She covered her gaping mouth as it was too painful to bear.

Hearing those spiteful words burned every vein in her body. It would kill anyone who hears it. You would rather be hit a million times with any object than to hear that from a parent's mouth. Yoonmei who was a rebellious and evil child never even heard it from neither her father nor mother. But for children like Kai who try their hardest is just plain torture, even if it is not meant.

Just as she was about to take a step back, someone from behind cleared his throat. Daehyun turned and slapped his forehead. ‘Oh !’

It was the right hand of Kai’s mother. He was in his late 30’s, dark haired, wearing a black suit, and holding what seems like a tablet. “I think sajangnim would be happy to see you guys!”

Then he pushed all of them in the room.

Kai was stunned to his friends inside his mother’s office. But seeing Yoonmei behind them was a lot worse. He couldn’t think of anything at that moment but get her out of there, but it was already too late.

“Who are you?” the mother asked with slitting eyes straight at her. “What are you doing in my house?”

“Ermmm… Mom… She’s a classmate…” Kai answered. “… and also our tutor…”

“Oh really? That makes her a useless tutor then!” she snarled. “You failed your exams, Jongin!”

“Mom! She only started tutoring us after the exams!” Kai added and paced in front of the table.

Daehyun held Yoonmei while standing in front of her. None of them wanted her to be there and all they could do was shield her.

“What’s your name?” the mother asked.

“It’s not important mom! Just leave her out of this!” Kai pleaded.

She instantly hurled the stack of papers on her table to his son. “Shut the up, Jongin! I’m not talking to you!”

That mere gesture unleashed the dragon within Yoonmei’s stomach. It came out flying and breathing fire in her entire system. She walked from behind then to Kai’s side. “My name is Kim Yoonmei!” she bowed 90 degrees.

Kai’s mother scrutinized her from head to toe. Just like everyone in Shinhwa, she assumed Yoonmei to be a commoner’s daughter. “Who are your parents? What do they do?”

“It’s not important…” she replied.

“Excuse me? But I insist! I want you to answer my question?” the woman slammed her palm on the table.

“I’m sorry but I’m entitled to keep this information to myself!” she insisted, still with a calm tone.

Then she faced his son. “I want you to stay away from this disgusting girl! I am raising you to be a well respected individual and not to mingle with worthless people!”

“MOM!!!” Kai yelled. “Stop this! You’re being unreasonable!”

Yoonmei saw his fists trembling on the side while trying hard to hold back his anger. She then decided to leave after thinking that she was not worth it anyway. ‘Pathetic! I kinda feel sorry for her!’ “I’ll go ahead ma’am… Goodbye…” she bowed again and turned.

The mother stood and slammed her fist on the table. “I’m still talking to you! Didn’t your parents teach you some manners?”

That did it. Just by the mention of her parents sent the dragon flying out of . “Yes! They did! They taught me how to stand up against people like you!” she growled. “It's scary to think that someone like you run a business. Do you even listen to the things that come out of your mouth? HUH???” she walked closer to the table and Kai held her wrist. “I’ve been thinking hard to see things from your point of view, but I can't get my head that far up my …”

At that point, Kai’s mom fell back down to her chair and watched her with jaw sticking to the floor.

“If you think that makeup can fix your intelligence, spend your entire fortune and buy a load of it!” she smirked. “You call your son a disgrace? What about you? What do you call yourself?” she moved back after feeling Kai’s grip tighten. “I’m ashamed to be in the same room with you!” and she walked out.

Kai’s mother was left speechless. She just earned herself a rival, and a teenager at that. She was so like her, but a lot scarier. It left her bewildered but more violent. She suddenly grabbed the lamp shade beside her and hurled it to the door. “ARRGGHHHH!!!”

Yoonmei stormed out of the house while being followed by the four boys. As they reached the main entrance, Kai ran in front of her and held your shoulders. “Mei, stop… I’m so sorry…”

“I just wanna go home…” she mellowed.

Kai looked at Daehyun. “You guys go ahead. I’ll take her home…” they nodded.

The drive was long, quiet and eerie. Neither one of them spoke. Yoonmei stared at the window while Kai focused on the road. The roaring engine was the only sound they can hear.

Then he stopped.

They were right outside Luoyong’s house but Yoonmei couldn’t pull herself from going out. Aside from the all out hate she has for his mother, she now sees him as a tragic figure. She felt guilty from all the hate she has on him, all the name calling she gave.

She never thought how much and how long he have put up against his abusive mother. ‘You can’t Mei! You can’t pity him! It’s wrong and he won’t accept it!’ says her conscience.

Kai saw her suddenly covering her face while pinching her eyebrows. “I’m so sorry, Mei… I shouldn’t have brought you to our house in the first place!”

“It’s not about that Kai…” she murmured. “Why don’t you fight back? You’re the leader of F4! You’re the king of Shinhwa High! I just don't understand…”

She then felt hand on her head. “I can’t do that to my mom, Mei! She brought me in this world, and she deserves my love and respect…”

Yoonmei raised her head and looked at him. “But can’t you see what she’s doing? She’s hurting you, Kai! It’s not fair!”

Kai shook his head. “No, she’s not! I have my heart in here and it’s beating just fine…” he poked his chest.

She was relieved at some point but she now has that urge to protect him and be there for him, like he does for Daehyun, Zelo and Sehun. “I just hope you learn when to fight back…” she smiled. “Thanks for taking me home… Continue with Newton’s Law!”

‘Babo! I am fighting for you right now! Tch!’ “Yes ma’am!” he saluted, then she left.